The Vercetti Legacy
by blondebabe800
Summary: Growing up without a mother, Sapphire Vercetti has always relied on her father Tommy to be there for her. But when he's arrested, it's up to her to break her father out. Someone else, though, will stop at nothing to keep Tommy in jail. Complete!
1. Prologue: Alone in the Night

It had been a busy evening in Vice City. For the last five hours, Tommy was running from one thing to another. One of the local businesses was purchased a few days ago by an out-of-towner who refused to pay protection. Instead, he had tried going to the police. Tommy met the new owner at his house, and they came to a "suitable business arrangement." As soon as he dealt with that, he had to run over to the Print Works to take care of some teenage thugs who seemed to get a kick out of torturing the old printer. Most of them fled when Tommy approached, and the few that were left limped home after Tommy gave them a solid beating. After that, Tommy made stops at the boatyard and the Cherry Popper. He finally made it home at one a.m.

As soon as he got around the corner of his estate, he saw his five-year-old daughter in her pajamas, crying in the driveway. He hit the brakes and came to a stop inches away from the girl.

He got out of the car. "Sapphire, I put you to bed five hours ago! What are you doing up?"

"I had a bad dream, Daddy," she said. "Then when I woke up, you were gone."

"I had to go to work," he told his daughter. "What were you doing in the driveway?"

"I thought you were gone forever and ever and I had to find a new daddy," she said.

"What made you think that?" he asked.

"I thought you didn't want me anymore. Like Mommy."

Tommy sighed and rested his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Sapphire, I'm not like Mommy. I'll always come back. I promise."

"Pinky swear?" she asked, looking solemnly at her father.

"Pinky swear," he said, holding out his pinky. She took it with her own. "Now, let's get you up to bed. You've got school in the morning." The girl didn't argue. Instead, she let out a huge yawn as Tommy led her into the house.

After his daughter was settled in her bed, Tommy sighed and poured himself a drink. He needed to get better locks for the door. If she had gotten into the swimming pool . . . Tommy shuddered at the thought. Perhaps he should hire a babysitter when he went out at night.

He took a swallow of his drink, glancing at a picture of his daughter. They looked so much alike-if not for the pigtails, one could almost believe that it was a five-year-old _Tommy _in the picture. He couldn't believe it had been almost six years since he'd slept with Sara Peterson. Mercedes was busy, and he wanted to have a good time. Sara was more than happy to deliver. So much so, in fact, that she didn't want Tommy to leave her. It had been with great effort that Tommy convinced Sara he wasn't interested in a relationship at the moment. He thought he'd never see her again, but she tracked him down a few months later to tell him that she was pregnant. She tried to pressure Tommy to marry her, but he refused. Instead, he offered Sara some money to keep her from suing for child support. Apparently, he didn't give her enough. A few months later, he found her baby on his doorstep.

Perhaps it was his old-school sense of responsibility, or his stubborn refusal to never back down from a challenge, but Tommy had decided to give this parenting thing a go. Some days were harder than others. He finished his drink and stood up to get ready for bed. He peeked in on Sapphire as he passed her bedroom. She was sound asleep. Tommy hoped that she was dreaming happy dreams.


	2. Chapter 1: Arrest

Chapter 1: Arrest

Sapphire Vercetti woke up at 5:25 am, five minutes before her alarm went off. She sat up right away, feeling around in the dark for the switch to her lamp. As soon as she found it, she got up and walked over to where she kept her jogging clothes. As her alarm rang, she turned it off and continued to lace up her shoes. She stretched before tiptoeing out of the mansion to go for her run.

Running always cleared Sapphire's mind, enabling her to focus on the day ahead. She made her to-do list in her head as she ran through Starfish Island. She worked as her father's secretary and bookkeeper. It was that time again. Every couple of months or so, she inspected the books to make sure everything was in order. Sapphire groaned as she realized she still had to make a trip to the Cherry Popper. No doubt the old manager would be there. She was not looking forward to the painful reminder of how much her mother hated her. She already knew.

When she was younger, Sapphire had constantly felt the absence of her mother. Knowing that her mother chose to abandon her only made it worse. She often wondered why her mother had hated her so much. Every Mother's Day was another opportunity for pain. The crafts made out of macaroni and pipe cleaners that every other kid proudly gave to their mother always made it into the trash before Sapphire left the schoolyard. As she got older, the feeling faded, but she was never quite able to stop hurting.

Sapphire forced herself to go back to thinking about her to-do list. She had to run the numbers for Kaufman's one more time. The numbers weren't adding up, and she wanted to make sure it wasn't her own error. Sapphire decided she could probably get that done before her father got up. After breakfast, she'd make the run over to the Cherry Popper before going to her kickboxing class. She took several deep breaths and walked into her house to shower.

A few hours later, she was cooking breakfast when her father came into the kitchen, half asleep. "Coffee?" he asked.

Sapphire pointed to the pot. "Just finished brewing. Breakfast is almost ready."

Tommy poured himself a cup, sat down, and took a sip. Hot, black, and strong-just the way he liked it. "Where's the bacon?" he asked.

"Daddy, you know the doctor said you have to watch your cholesterol. I made egg whites and grapefruit," Sapphire said, waving her spatula at a plate full of cut grapefruit.

"What kind of crap is that? I don't care about my cholesterol!"

"What would happen to me if you decided to go and die of a heart attack?" she asked. "Anyway, I was going over some numbers this morning." She put the plate of eggs on the table and sat down.

"Everything in order?" Tommy inquired.

"Not exactly. My suspicions were right. Kaufman's has been cooking the books." She showed Tommy the numbers.

"Right in front of my nose!" Tommy shouted. "I suppose I'm going to have to pay them a little visit."

"You'll be careful, right, Daddy?" Sapphire asked anxiously.

"Of course I will. I've been at this longer than you've been alive, remember?" Tommy said, startled by her sudden change in demeanor.

"Yeah," Sapphire admitted sheepishly. "I just worry that someday something will happen and you won't come home. You know if you ever get caught, it'll be the chair for you."

"Nonsense. Anyway, where's the .45?"

"You're not taking the .357?" she asked, surprised. That weapon was almost a part of Tommy himself.

"I need something a little lighter today," he explained.

"It's downstairs," she said. "I just bought ammo for it the other day."

"Good," Tommy said. "Now, I'll be home in time for dinner, and I expect something good on the table. None of this low-fat crap." He left as Sapphire turned the radio on to VCPR and started working on the dishes. When those were done, she grabbed her paperwork and went to sit in the living room.

Maurice Chavez started yelling at the most objectionable panelist when he was interrupted by breaking news music. Sapphire got up to change the channel, but stopped when she heard, "shooting at Kaufman's Cabs." She blinked. Had she heard right?

"Police have arrested one man in connection with the shooting. He has been identified as Tommy Vercetti, believed to be one of Vice City's biggest crime lords."

Sapphire dropped the sheaf of papers as she stood there in shock.


	3. Chapter 2: On Her Own

Sapphire collapsed to the floor as though she had been punched in the gut. How could this have happened? Her daddy was gone. She pinched herself, hoping it was a dream. Slowly, she started picking up the papers. She sat on the couch and tried to sort through them, but she couldn't concentrate. In despair, she headed up to the office.

The mansion seemed to grow in size. She felt so utterly alone. Tears stung her eyes as she put the papers in the safe. She wiped them away, but they continued to fall. Her father's .357 Python was lying on his desk, a potent reminder of his absence. She ran her fingers along the barrel. She picked it up, surprised by the weight. She held it for a moment, put it down, and started running. She headed down the stairs, grabbing her keys from the front door. She got into her blue Comet and drove as fast as she could without getting pulled over, heading for the one place she knew she could feel safe.

"Mr. Kelly?" she asked, pushing open the door of the Print Works. Mr. Kelly used to babysit her when her father had business over at the Cherry Popper. He would always give her a lollipop and let her watch him print the money, always patiently answering her questions.

Earnest poked his head around the corner. "Sapphire? What are you doing here? Something wrong with the paperwork?"

"No. It's just that. . .Daddy was arrested at Kaufman's a little while ago." She started sobbing.

"Come in and sit down," Earnest said kindly, gesturing to a chair. He was in his 80's, but continued to work. He insisted that it kept him young.

"Thanks," Sapphire said, sitting down as Earnest pulled up another chair.

"So, tell me what happened," the old man said, businesslike.

"I don't know. I was listening to VCPR, and they said that Daddy was arrested after a shooting."

Earnest nodded. "Have you heard from him?"

"No," she said, still crying. "They're going to send him to the chair, aren't they?"

"Not if you can get him out."

"You mean, like a jailbreak? I couldn't pull that off."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know how. I've never done it."

"You also didn't know how to ride a bike until you did it."

"When I failed at riding a bike, I got a scraped knee. If I fail at this, they'll kill Daddy."

"You said they'd do that anyway. You got nothing to lose. Now, first of all, you have to get information. Find out where your father is being held-if he has a lawyer-stuff like that." Sapphire nodded and Earnest continued. "Right now, though, you have to go home and get anything incriminating out of there. The cops will probably get a search warrant. After that, it's probably best to stay away from there."

"I'll get a hotel room," Sapphire said, relieved that she wouldn't have to stay in the mansion.

"Good. Go now, before the cops get there." Sapphire left the Print Works and drove home. She ran upstairs and into the office. She spun the dial on the safe and pulled out the papers she had been working on that morning. She ripped them into shreds. She grabbed as much cash as she could and put it into a briefcase. She threw her laptop in its bag, and grabbed her cell phone charger and an overnight bag from her room. She spotted her father's .357 in the office. Without thinking, she grabbed it and fastened it under her skirt. As she drove back to the Print Works, her phone rang. She picked it up. It was her father.

"Sapphire?" Tommy paused for a moment. "Something went wrong at Kaufman's. I-I won't be home for dinner tonight."

"I know. Where are you?"

"I'm at police headquarters. They're transferring me to jail tomorrow."

"Daddy, what-what happened?"

"Better not to say. They record this, you know."

Sapphire exhaled, unaware she was holding her breath. "Do you have a lawyer?"

"I need you to call him. He works out of Rosenberg's old place." Tommy gave her the number.

"Okay," she said unsteadily.

"Call Mario, make sure he knows where I am." Mario was the head of Tommy's hired guns.

"I can do that."

"Anyway, I've got to go now," Tommy said. "The goons want me back in my cell."

"When will you call again?"

"I don't know. Goodbye, Sapphire."

"Goodbye, Daddy."

* * *

They led Tommy back to his cell. How could things have gone so wrong? Go in, find out who took the money, and kill them. But he was careless and let one of the drivers get away while he talked to Delores. Tommy paced around the small room. Maybe he'd been too cocky.

Tommy wasn't too worried about his business. He knew Mario could take care of that. It was Sapphire he was worried about. She had tried to put a brave face on, but Tommy had been her father long enough to know when she was afraid. For once, her fears weren't groundless. He knew the chair was waiting for him. Tommy rattled the bars on his cell. The only question was how long his lawyer could drag out the appeal process. He'd wasted his youth in jail; now it seemed he'd be wasting his twilight years.

* * *

Sapphire pulled into the Print Works. Earnest was sitting outside waiting. She asked, "Mind if we come in? I got a call from Daddy." She pulled the door open and ushered the old man inside.

When they were seated, Earnest asked, "So, what did you find out?"

"Daddy's being held at police headquarters overnight. They're transferring him to jail tomorrow."

"It should be a relatively simple operation to get him out, then, if we do it tonight or tomorrow. I remember your father telling me about the time he busted a guy out of there."

Sapphire remembered her father telling her that story. "What if we stole the van they use to transport the prisoners? I could pretend to be the cop taking him to jail. They wouldn't notice until he doesn't show up at the jail."

"Then what?"

Sapphire thought for a moment. "You know the biker bar downtown?"

"Can't say I do."

"Well, Daddy has some friends down there. The cops won't go near the place; they're too scared. He can hide out there until the heat's off. We'll just need to get a handcuff key and a change of clothes."

"I think I can handle those," Earnest said.

Sapphire nodded her head. "So, if you'll excuse me, I got a million things to do. I'll stop by tomorrow morning for the key and clothes."

Earnest nodded. Sapphire pulled out her cell phone. "Hi, Mario? It's Sapphire. Did you hear what happened to Daddy?. . .We need your help to bust him out. . .We'll be going as cops and pretending to transfer him. . .I'm at the Print Works now. . .I'll call you tomorrow. I'll be booking a room at the Vice City Hotel."

After getting a hotel room for the night and finishing her other errands, she took her father's Python, put it in one of the dresser drawers, and flopped on the bed to watch T.V. She got up when she heard a knock on her door. It was a man with a name tag bearing the name of the hotel. As soon as she opened the door, he punched her in the gut. While she was still recovering, he swung at her and hit her in the eye.

Sapphire tripped and fell backwards, frightened out of her mind. The strange man stood by Sapphire's side and stared her in the face. "Your father stays in jail, understand?"

"Perfectly." She spotted his foot by her face and decided to act. She grabbed his foot and twisted it, knocking him off his balance. She scrambled to her feet, feeling around for her father's gun. She panicked when she realized she didn't have it. The man got back up on his feet. Her instincts taking over, Sapphire distracted him with a punch to the jaw before kneeing him in the groin.

As he was doubled up in pain, Sapphire kicked the back of his head. He fell backwards, and she stomped on his stomach. As he rolled over in pain, she kicked him in the kidney. Sapphire put her knee in his back and twisted his arm behind him, holding the back of his head with her other hand. She gasped for breath

"Talk," she growled. "Who are you and why do you want my father in jail?"

"My name's Al," he said, "and your father is in our way."

"Who do you work for?"

"I ain't no snitch." Sapphire forced his arm higher up his back. "All right, all right! I'm from Liberty. I work for the Forellis."

Sapphire was shocked. "The Forelli family was ruined almost 20 years ago."

"They're making a comeback. Turns out that while Sonny's sons had no nose for the business, his daughter did."

"Sonny's daughter?"

"Yeah. Can I go?"

"Two final questions. How do you know who I am, and how did you know where to find me?"

"Forelli told me."

Sapphire pushed his face into the hotel room floor, breaking his nose. She strode across the room and grabbed her father's .357. Sapphire showed him the weapon, and he trembled. She smacked him across the jaw with it, splitting his lip and knocking out a tooth. Sapphire pushed him towards the door. "Go show Ms. Forelli what happens to those who mess with the Vercettis. Hurt anyone else and I'll see to it you never get back to Liberty." He got up, opened the door, and hobbled out.

Sapphire groaned as she closed and locked the door behind him. Her eye throbbed and her body ached. She ran herself a hot bath to try and soothe her pains. As the adrenaline wore off, she found herself with a sense of accomplishment. Sure, she had sparred against people before while kickboxing, but this was the first time she had ever given anyone such a beating, let alone someone so much larger than herself. _If only Daddy could have seen me_, she thought. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Tomorrow would be stressful. All she wanted to do now was relax and sleep.


	4. Chapter 3: Escape

Sapphire woke up at 5:25 am. As usual, she got up and ready for her run. As she ran, she reviewed her plan. At seven o'clock, she would sneak into the locker room and take a spare uniform. After that, she would go get the things she needed from Mr. Kelly. Mario would meet her at the Print Works after getting a spare uniform from the station in Little Havana. She would steal the police van, and then they would go in and get her father. Sapphire would drive, while Mario would unlock her father's shackles and give him the clothes to change into. After they'd gotten to the Greasy Chopper, she would take her father in while Mario would dispose of the van.

She ran faster than usual, trying to burn off her nervous energy. She needed to calm down. What if they caught her taking the uniform? What if they saw through the disguise when she went to take the van or rescue her father? What if she did something incredibly stupid? What if the Forelli thugs found them? Gradually, the physical exertion quieted her mind and erased her tension.

After she finished her run, she only had time to grab her father's gun and change into a skirt to hide it. She drove quickly through the streets of Vice City, arriving at the police station just before seven. She parked her car well away from the station and walked up to the door, taking several deep breaths to steady herself before stepping through the door.

The cops at the front desk were too busy gossiping to notice her, so she was able to slip into the locker room undetected. She grabbed a cop uniform from the shelf, peeking at the tag. It would be a bit tight on her, but it would do.

"Hey," a voice said behind her. Sapphire turned around and looked into the eyes of a six-foot-tall muscular cop. "You new here?"

Sapphire felt her mouth go dry. "Not exactly," she stammered.

"Transfer?"

"Yeah," she said, relieved he wasn't at all suspicious. "From Little Havana."

"Welcome to the force. I'm Wes," he said, extending his hand.

"Sa. . .Sasha," she said, shaking hands.

"How'd you get the black eye?"

"I fell down the stairs."

Wes nodded. "Looks like it hurt. Anyway, good to meet you. I look forward to working with you," he said, leaving. Sapphire let out a sigh of relief as she headed into the change room. When she was done, she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked exactly like a real cop. The only difference was that she was carrying her father's Python instead of the police-issued .45. She left the station. No one even glanced her way.

She got into her Comet and drove down to the Print Works. None of her father's men were around. She opened the door of the Print Works.."Mr. Kelly? You got the stuff?"

There was no answer. Sapphire walked further in and found Earnest lying motionless on the floor. She walked up to him and shook him. "Mr. Kelly? It's Sapphire. Are you okay?" She rolled him over. His skin was cold, and he wasn't breathing. She gasped as she realized that the beloved printer was dead. Who would do this to the old man?

She found her answer in a piece of paper pinned to one of the printing presses. The writing on it was big and bold. "Your father is next."

_So they're picking on the weak and elderly. Cowards_. She swore loudly to keep herself from crying.

"Sapphire?" She turned around to see Mario there.

"Did you see this?" she demanded. "Those thugs killed Mr. Kelly!"

"Did he get the stuff?" Mario asked. "We'll need it for the escape."

Sapphire looked around, and she found some clothes folded on a chair. She grabbed them, looking around for a handcuff key. She finally found it tucked into the pocket of the pants. She handed the key and the clothes to Mario.

"Let's go," she said. "Daddy still needs us."

They drove back to the headquarters, parking the Comet in the same spot as before. "I'll go steal the van," she said. "You wait by the door." She jogged over to the parking lot. An older cop was unlocking one of them. He was probably the one who was supposed to transfer her father. She crept up to him and whacked him over the head with the handle of her father's Python. She waved Mario over.

"I need you to take care of this guy for me," she said. "Cuff and gag him and dump him somewhere. Then bring the van around to the front of the station. I'll go in and get Daddy." Mario nodded, and Sapphire took a deep breath, and walking into the station.

"Hello," she said to the officers at the front desk, who looked up at her from their doughnuts. "I'm here for the prisoner to be transferred today." She put the paperwork on the desk.

"Where's Curly?" one of the men said.

"He called in sick today," she said.

"Wes," one of the officers said, waving Wes over. "Get Vercetti ready for transport."

"Sure thing, boss," he said. "Who's doing the transport? I don't see Curly anywhere."

"Her," the officer said, gesturing to Sapphire.

"I thought you were working here," Wes said to Sapphire.

"Um. . ." she said. Wes and the other officer were staring at her. "I, uh, officially start tomorrow. They just really needed someone to cover Curly."

Wes nodded. "I'll go get Vercetti."

The one thing Sapphire had not thought to anticipate was her emotional reaction upon seeing her proud father in shackles and a prison jumpsuit. She winced, earning her a questioning look from Wes.

"He's been searched already," Wes said. Sapphire grabbed one of Tommy's arms, and she led him out of the station. Mario was standing by the running van. They helped Tommy into the vehicle.

Sapphire got in the driver's seat while Mario climbed in beside Tommy. They drove away from the station. Sapphire checked her watch. "Right on time," she said. "Mario, unlock Daddy's shackles."

As Mario complied, Tommy surveyed his daughter. "How'd you get the black eye?" he asked.

"Some thug decided to pay me a visit," she said grimly. "The Forellis are back. Apparently Sonny's daughter is in charge now."

"Sonny's daughter? Last time I saw her, she was six years old," Tommy said. "How old would she be now?" He started counting on his fingers. "40. Boy, do I feel ancient."

Sapphire turned onto the bridge to Starfish Island. She reached into the holster on her uniform, took out the Python, and handed it to her father. "Here's your gun, Daddy."

Tommy took the gun from Sapphire. "Thank you." He checked the sights on the weapon.

Sapphire glanced in her rear-view mirror. "I think that silver Sentinel's been following us," she said. "I remember them behind us when we left the cop shop."

"They've got guns," Tommy said, looking out the window.

"Probably Forelli men," Sapphire said. "They really want to keep you in jail."

"I wonder why," Tommy said sarcastically.

"They killed Mr. Kelly to try and intimidate me," Sapphire said quietly.

"Earnest? Killed?"

"Yeah. I found him this morning. Beaten to a pulp."

Tommy swore under his breath as Sapphire turned into Little Havana. "Hold on," she said. "I'm gonna try to lose them." The silver car pulled up beside them and started firing shots. The windows in the van cracked. Tommy automatically flattened himself against the floor of the van. Sapphire sped up and started driving through the side streets of Little Havana.

She nearly flipped the van as she turned a corner sharply. "Are you crazy?" Mario asked her. "We can't outrun a Sentinel in a van!"

"No, but we can confuse them," Sapphire said, turning another corner. "Remember, we know this area. They don't." With less room on the road, the Sentinel was forced to drive behind them. They were shooting at the rear window.

"Good thing I stole a police van," Sapphire said. "If it had been a regular van, we'd be dead."

"Ram them," Tommy said. "We're slower and less maneuverable, but we're bigger."

"Okay." She rounded the corner to where there was less traffic and picked up her speed before throwing the van into reverse. The front of the Sentinel crumpled like paper. The bullets continued to hit the back window, but she kept driving backwards until the Sentinel hit a building. As the trunk crumpled, Sapphire hit the gas and drove off.

"I think we lost them," she said. "Where's the clothes?"

"Right here," Mario said, giving them to Tommy, who changed as quickly as he could.

"So, since I assume you're not taking me to jail, where are we going?" Tommy asked.

"The Greasy Chopper. Best place to lie low," Sapphire said.

"Good. I could use a drink," Tommy said. Sapphire pulled back onto the main road and headed down to the biker bar.

She arrived a few minutes later and surveyed the street. No cops. She opened the door for her father, who ran into the bar as fast as he could. Mario took the driver's seat and drove off as Sapphire followed her father into the bar.

Mitch Baker greeted Tommy. "Hey man, I heard about what happened. Glad to see you got out."

Tommy grinned as he shook Mitch's hand. "All thanks to Sapphire here. She did everything."

"Not everything," she said modestly. "I had some help from Mario and Mr. Kelly."

"If you'll excuse us," Tommy said, putting his hand on Sapphire's shoulder, "I'd like to talk to my daughter for a minute."

Mitch nodded. Tommy bought his daughter and himself a drink, and they made their way to a table in the back.

"You look so grown-up," he said.

"It's the black eye, isn't it?"

"Not just that. It's. . .more subtle than that." He sighed. "You're different. You walk taller, speak with more authority."

Sapphire ran a hand through her hair. "I still can't believe I did all that," she said.

"What you did today-you made me proud, Sapphire." Tommy pulled out his Python and put it on the table. "Take this."

"Really? Your favourite gun?" Sapphire asked, confused.

"Yeah. Did I ever tell you the history of this gun?"

"No."

"This is the gun that killed both Ricardo Diaz and Sonny Forelli. It made me who I am today." Tommy pushed the gun toward his daughter. "You've earned it."

Sapphire took the gun. "Thank you, Dad. I'll do you proud."

"You already have."

* * *

As soon as Sapphire and Tommy got into the Greasy Chopper, Mario turned the van around and drove in the direction of Little Havana. He picked up his cell phone and started dialing.

"Mario! I was waiting for your call!" the female voice on the other end said.

"They're at the Greasy Chopper," Mario said. "I'm going to dispose of the van."

"And how exactly are we supposed to get over there? In case you forgot, your little friend trashed our car."

"She's not exactly my friend," Mario grumbled.

"Moron! Get over here and pick us up," the woman snapped.

"Okay," Mario said, but the line had already gone dead.


	5. Chapter 4: Forelli Business

Sapphire and Tommy were busy discussing their exploits when three men entered the Greasy Chopper with sub-machine guns. As they opened fire, Sapphire and Tommy ducked under the small table.

"We're looking for a man named Vercetti," one of them said.

Sapphire readied her weapon. Tommy whispered to her, "Grab your drink." Sapphire gave her father a confused look, but did as he said. He took the drink from her and grabbed his own. "Get ready to fire."

Tommy pushed the table over so it would provide better cover. The smash drew the attention of the men, who began firing in their direction. Sapphire rolled away from the table and crouched under a one of the pool tables. Tommy threw a drink at the men. It distracted them long enough for Sapphire to get off two shots. The first shot hit one of the men in the head, but the second one missed entirely.

"Go for the chest. Bigger target," Tommy hissed. Sapphire nodded, but by this time, the men were all firing on her. She tried to push the pool table over, but it was too heavy. Instead, she rolled again, away from her father. She nodded at him, and he threw the second drink. She only got off one shot, but it hit the man square in the chest. The third man rushed Sapphire. She rolled back under the pool table and shot, but missed. As the man looked around for her, she put her second-to-last bullet in his chest.

Sapphire climbed out from under the pool table. Tommy was double-checking to make sure the two guys Sapphire shot were really dead. She did the same with the third guy before picking up his Uzi and giving it to Tommy. Just then, Mario entered the Greasy Chopper.

"I got rid of the van," he said, taken aback by the bodies on the floor.

"Thanks," Sapphire said. "You missed the carnage."

"They found us?" Mario said.

"Yeah. You know, they couldn't have followed us. Someone must have told them where we were." Tommy pointed the sub-machine gun in Mario's direction.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Mario said.

"Well, I do," Tommy said. He lifted the Uzi and shot Mario.

Sapphire gasped. "How could he have done that? He worked for you since before I was born!"

"I must be cursed," Tommy said grimly. "My first second-in-command sold me out to the Forellis, too."

As they stood there, the door to the Greasy Chopper opened, and a middle-aged woman walked in. She was dressed opulently and somewhat scantily. Her outfit would have looked pathetic on any other woman, but she somehow managed to pull it off.

Tommy stared in shock. It couldn't be her!

"Sara? Sara Peterson?" he asked.

* * *

"Sara _Forelli_," the woman corrected him, walking over to them. She turned to Sapphire. "My dear daughter! You've grown so much!"

"The last time you saw me was eighteen years ago. Of course I've grown," Sapphire said icily.

"Why so angry, Sunny?"

"What did you call me?"

"Sunny. That's your _real _name. You were named after your grandfather. Such a shame he died before he could meet you." Sara turned to glare at Tommy.

"My real name is Sapphire."

"Not according to the Florida Department of Statistics," Sara replied. "There's no record there of anyone named Sapphire Vercetti."

"You think I care what the government says?" Sapphire challenged, gesturing to her father and the dead bodies on the floor.

"I'm still your mother. I've spent these last eighteen years wondering if you were safe. I was so worried that the Harwood Butcher had drowned you in his swimming pool."

"Nobody calls my father that," Sapphire said, raising her Python.

"You didn't know that your father killed eleven men?" Sara asked mockingly.

"Only because your father set me up," Tommy said angrily.

"Daddy never would have done any such thing," Sara said firmly.

"Well, why'd you sleep with me, then, if you knew I killed him?" Tommy asked.

"I had to make sure your assets would fall into Forelli hands after I disposed of you. The plan was to get pregnant and force you into marriage. Unfortunately, when that failed, I realized I had to get rid of her. I couldn't exactly go back to Liberty City and tell my brothers I was pregnant with your baby, could I?"

"So I was nothing but a tool for you to manipulate my father with?" Sapphire demanded, angry. "To be conveniently disposed of when no longer useful?"

"I always planned to come back."

"Well, you never did. I spent years of my life wondering why you abandoned me. Do you know what it's like to be the only girl in school without a mother? When you were five years old, did you ever wake up from a nightmare to find your house empty? Did you ever throw away your carefully-made macaroni and pipe cleaner craft because there was no one to give it to? Well, here's your present to make up for all the ones I never gave you. Happy Mother's Day." Sapphire raised her revolver and shot Sara.

The bang shocked both Sapphire and Tommy. They surveyed the wreckage in silence for a moment. Dead bodies were oozing blood onto the floor. Broken glass was tables were all helter-skelter, and a few lights were broken. Sapphire glanced at her father. The look on his face mirrored her own.

"I just can't believe. . ." Sapphire said.

Tommy put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I had no idea."

Sapphire remained silent for a moment, staring at the body of Sara Forelli. Finally she turned to her father and said, "You know, there's a whole organization up north available for our taking now."

"I'm not going back to Liberty. I like the weather here," Tommy objected.

"I want to go."

He did a double-take at this. "Why?"

"Because I want an organization of my own. I've discovered what I'm capable of, and I don't want to waste that by spending all my time paper-shuffling."

"If it's action you want, I can find you a bigger role," he said. "You can be my second in command."

"It's not just that, Dad. I want to be more than the heiress to the Vercetti fortune. I want to make my own mark in the world. Prove that I can stand on my own two feet."

Tommy sighed. He really didn't want her to go, but he knew he didn't have a choice. Once a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, you can't keep it from flying. "When will you be leaving?"

"After Mr. Kelly's funeral-plus I have a few things to 'sort out' first."

Tommy nodded. "I'll miss you, you know."

"Me too, Dad."


	6. Epilogue: Last Goodbyes

Epilogue: Last Goodbyes

Tommy Vercetti stood in the driveway of the mansion. _It feels good to be home_, he thought. The charges against him had been dropped after the police chief had mysteriously disappeared in a boating accident. When Tommy asked his daughter about it, she merely shrugged her shoulders-but one of his boats was definitely missing. They had attended Earnest Kelly's funeral the day before yesterday. Tommy had closed down the Print Works. There was no one around anymore to run it, but he felt it would be disrespectful to Earnest to sell it.

"Got everything?" Tommy asked, as Sapphire carried her last suitcase out.

"Yep," Sapphire said, lifting it into the back of her Comet. "That's it." She closed the trunk of her car and walked over to where her father was standing.

"You take care of yourself up there," Tommy told her sternly. "I don't want to turn on the news and hear about you getting arrested."

"I'll be careful, Dad," Sapphire said. She reached over and gave him a hug before jumping into her Comet and driving off. Tommy walked to the end of the driveway and watched her until she disappeared out of sight. He walked slowly back to the mansion and poured himself a drink. He held it up in a solitary toast.

"Here's looking at you, kid."


End file.
